A New Path
by aforrest
Summary: After Paraquay, different possibilities open up and Harm decides to travel a new path.
1. Chapter 1

**A New Path**

**Chapter One**

A/N 1: Yeah, I know. There is another fic that has a similar title ( FrogtownStamper: I like your fic very much). However, I started to work on this fic a long time ago. Even before I started to write 'Sad past, happy future?', which was supposed to be a test trial. I have thought long about different titles but for one reason or another, I didn't like those ideas. Therefore, I have decided to publish this story with this title.

A/N 2: Although, I have worked on this fic for a long time, I actually have not written down much of it. Therefore, updates will be slow.

A/N 3: I have planned it as a multi-chapter and it will be totally AU! I plan to use different characters from various TV shows. It is possible that some of the characters will act OOC. You have been warned! ;-)

A/N 4: There a more than 4.000 JAG stories. I have read a lot of them, but not all of them. Therefore, it is possible, that there will be storylines, which are similar to those other authors have used before. I apologize in advanced. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N 5: Feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome. Please, feel free to tell me what you like or dislike! I am also open for ideas ;-)

A/N 6: I am not a native speaker. Therefore, there will be many mistakes. Obviously, I am going to try to minimize them. As of yet, I do not have a beta. Please, contact me if you want to have that job! I would be very happy for your help.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. of any TV show used in this fic are the property of their respective owners, producers or creators. Any resemblances to actual persons, places, etc are purely coincidental. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. Hence, no copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Unmarked airplane**

**Somewhere over the Southern Atlantic Ocean.**

Harm sat with his eyes closed in his seat. The past couples days had been rough and he had not gotten much sleep. He was dog-tired and his head hurt. He felt numb on the inside. There had been only a few times that he could remember feeling like that before. After the ramp strike, he would just felt pain and guilt for killing his RIO for a long time. It had been a dark time in his life. He had survived just barely, but he had been injured severely. He still remembered the day the doctors had told him that there was only a slim chance that he would walk ever again.

Although Harm had thought that his days as a naval aviator were over, he could not accept that he would never walk again. However, Harm was a fighter - so he fought. He worked hard in his rehabilitation. Nevertheless, it was difficult because neither the doctors nor his family had actually encouraged him at first. In fact, they gently tried to force him to accept his injuries. That had provoked him to work even harder. In the end, he had shown them that he was not a man who would give that easily and walked out the rehabilitation centre on his own feet.

After he had his physical problems more or less solved – he still carried the scars on his back – he had to battle his psychological problems - meaning his guilt. Although he had been cleared of all wrongdoing, he still had to live with the fact his friend died during their mishap. He would have to live with that knowledge until the day he'll die. Long conversations with his grandmother and Diane had helped him to soothe those feelings.

The first time he had felt that numb was after his return from Vietnam. Back then, he had not been able to talk about it. How could he have possible spoken of the things he had seen and done there? Things, a sixteen-year boy should never experience.

The second time was when he had heard Diane's name while opening the body bag. Diane and he had made plans for the weekend. They wanted to meet and finally talk about a possible life together. They had known that they had feelings for each other, but regulations and deployments had kept them apart. However, instead of talking about marriage and kids, Harm had to look at Diane's bloodied body in the bag. He didn't feel a thing the first few minutes after he had seen Diane dead on that stretcher. Nevertheless, the feeling did not last long before he started to feel the grief, the regrets and most importantly the anger. He focused mostly on the last feeling while he tried to find killer.

The third and last time he remembered feeling completely numb on the inside was in Russia, after he finally learned what had happened to his father. Then again, Mac had been with him and being near her had helped him.

At this time, Mac was also near him. However, this time it did not help, he did not feel better. In fact, it made the feeling stronger. Harm thought about their conversation at the taxi stand:

_"Things are never gonna work out between us."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because we both want to be on top …. and that's physically and emotionally impossible."_

_In all those years that we have known each other, this had to be the stupidest thing she had ever said to me_, Harm thought. He never wanted to be on top as Mac had put it. As competitive as he knew he was, Harm had never seen a relationship as a power-struggle._ I just wanted to be with you, Mac. Oh, Mac… clearly, you do not know me as well as you think you do. Because if you did, you would not have said something as stupid as that. If you are wrong about that, what else have you not understood about me? Ah, well, there is no point of thinking about that now. The headache just would get worse. _He knew he should not make a rash decision. Nevertheless, he knew one thing for a fact, whatever might have been between them, their stupid dance was over. They would never be anything more than friends would. He made a promise to himself: He would not let any more innocent people get hurt because they could not figure out their relationship. With that promise, he came to some sort of inner peace. He did not know what his future would look like, but he was determined to make the best of the hand he'd been dealt.

Not far from his seat sat Mac who was deep in thought herself. The experiences of the previous days had taken its toll on her. She was looking at him and she realized that he was deep in his thoughts. After their conversation at the taxi stand, he had been uncharacteristically quiet for most of the time. It had been an awkward silence. He had said only a few words when it had been essential to board the plane. But since then, he really hadn't said anything at all. It was like that for him, she wasn't even here in the same plane.

She could not believe how this assignment could've turned out so bad. The death of the missionaries, the torture of Webb, Harm's timely rescue just before they would start to torture herself, the plane crash – it all seemed rather incredulous. In addition to all those things, there was her conversations with Harm. It started rather good, but it deteriorated rapidly after Clay and Gunny had come to the hotel room. It was another painful encounter in their long friendship.

She still could not believe that he had resigned. He had given everything up - for her. The thought of it weighed heavily on her. Would he eventually hate her for it? _But_ w_hy should he? I did not ask him to rescue us. The CIA would have come for us, eventually. But no, Harm had to play the hero again. And the Admiral will take him back – like always. _With that thought, Mac drifted into a deep sleep.

The rest of the flight was uneventful. Harm had not spoken to Mac throughout the entire flight. After the landing at Andrews Airport, they stood, picked up their baggage and left the plane. Harm noticed a couple of unhappy government officials who were standing in front of their dark vehicles. He instantly knew that they were there to debrief them, so that they could find out, what had happened in Paraguay. Harm knew that the screw-ups of this mission outweighed by far the positive outcomes. They may have defused the stinger missile threat, but there was a lot of collateral damage. First, there was the personal count: a few injured agents and two killed hostages. Secondly there was a wrecked plane that belonged to some innocent bystander, multiple sites of explosions, fires and shootout that would have the Paraguay government riled up.

One of the suits took a few steps towards them. "Ms. MacKenzie, Mr. Rabb, I'm John Feldman …"

Before he could say anything else, a determined voice interrupted him. "Whatever you want, it has to wait. I'm tired and have one hell of a headache. I'm going home!"

Those were the first words Harm had said since they had left Paraguay. The look on Harm's face convinced Feldman that Rabb would not budge. He would not get his debrief today. Therefore, he did the only thing he could think of, and nodded.

"Come on, then. Mr. Rabb, would you come with me, please. Ms. MacKenzie, you can go with my colleague. Martha, would you take Ms. MacKenzie home, please."

"Harm...", Mac started.

"Not now, Colonel. Let's go, Agent Feldman." Harm more or less dismissed Mac. He took his sea bag, climbed into the car and shut the door.

* * *

**Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

**Washington, DC**

On the ride back to his apartment, Harm thought about the next days. He knew he had to go to the CIA to be debriefed. He also knew that he had to go the JAG office and see the Admiral. _Well, that will be fun. _

The whole situation was almost as bad as it could possibly have been. Only almost - none of them was dead, Harm and many different thoughts were swirling around Harm's brain, filling his head with chaos. He rubbed his eyes again, trying to soothe the pain. The constant throbbing was killing him. He desperately needed to sleep. He had not slept during the long flight at all. When they stopped at his apartment, Harm wordlessly crabbed his bag and exited the car.

At his door, he turned the key to his apartment, opened the door and walked in. Although the apartment was cold, he could not remember ever being more relieved when walking through that door. He'd been away for a couple of days, so a thin layer of dust covered everything. Harm saw the light flashing of the answering machine to let him know that he had messages waiting for him. He dropped his bag on his way to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water and went to his bedroom. Harm would have liked to take a hot shower, but that had to wait. The boiler needed a least half an hour to get work and he really did not want to wait so long. Therefore, Harm simply changed in T-Shirt and shorts and went to bed.

Harm's journey to wakefulness was slow. Although he had slept more than twelve hours, Harm only felt slightly rested. He blinked his eyes open and groaned when the morning light hit his eyes. He rubbed his temples hoping against hope that this would lighten his headache. After a long hot shower, Harm went out shopping. That was the only time, Harm had left his apartment for the weekend. The rest of the time Harm spent cleaning his apartment, washing his clothes and doing other shores. These tasks helped him not to think about Mac. It was Sunday evening when Harm sat on his couch nursing his beer. Harm still did not own a TV. Normally he would read or play his guitar. His headache prevented him from doing both today. He sighed miserably and wondered what had gone wrong in the past months. He actually had thought that he and Mac were becoming solid again in their friendship. Maybe even more, but it all changed when Singers pregnancy became common knowledge. From this moment on everything changed. He was honest to himself and knew that he was not blameless. He DID investigate her pregnancy behind everyone's back, but he had been so sure that she was pregnant with Sergei's child. When she told him that, she did not want the baby he made the decision that he could adopt him or her. His damn sense of obligation came back to bite him though. He nearly had been convicted of her murder.

These weeks were bad enough. Then came this whole ordeal in Paraguay. It began with Mac showing up at his apartment in her pregnant suit and their fight. When she told him that she was going to work on a mission for the CIA, he instantly had a bad feeling. It didn't have anything to do with her capabilities. It was the fact that she would be working with Webb. Although Webb had helped him in the past, his missions never went smoothly. Hell, he and Mac nearly had been killed on more than one of Webb's missions. What had him so concerned was that he would not be there to help Mac. He had feared for her because he knew that the CIA had a different set of parameters than the military. Unlike the military, the CIA was not known for its 'leave no man behind' attitude.

However, Harm did not expect for Mac to twist his words and make it about them. Her parting shot that he would only show interest when she had one foot out the door and not when she might return it, had hurt him deeply. After all that followed - him giving up his career, killing a number of people and rescuing her literally seconds before she was tortured - she kissed Webb. Then she told him that there would never be an 'us'.

For some reason he did always end up alone. Unlike what Mac had accused him of, he was not afraid of a commitment. Actually, he had been trying to have something more than just a casual relationship. He was yearning for a family. He so desperately wanted to have children. However, his every attempt had failed miserably. So here he was – 40, unemployed and single. Her acts and words had torn his heart out of his chest. Now there was a hole where his heart had been. _That is depressing, Rabb. Stop wallowing._ He knew he had to start and plan his life. For example, he needed to think about his meeting with the Admiral the next day. On Saturday, he had called the duty officer at the JAG office to make an appointment. Whether he liked it or not, he knew that, he had to speak to the old man at least once again.


	2. Chapter 2

**A New Path**

First of all, I want to thank jpstar57 and Ky111 for their reviews and all the others who send me messages. I appreciate them very much! Feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. of any TV show used in this fic are the property of their respective owners, producers or creators. Any resemblances to actual persons, places, etc. are purely coincidental. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. Hence, no copyright infringement is intended.

**Chapter Two**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

**0753, Monday**

Harm sat in his car in front of the JAG HQ and yawned. Although he had slept a lot over the weekend, Harm only felt slightly rested. With a murmured 'Let's get it over with', he stepped out of his car and made his way up to the bullpen. He mentally prepared himself for the conversation with the Admiral because he knew that it would not be pleasant. Harm was so deep in thoughts that he didn't notice the arrival of Mac. Just when he entered the elevator, he heard her yelling, "Harm, wait."

For a split of a second, he thought of ignoring her, but decided against that and put his hands out to stop the elevator doors before they closed.

"Thank you. Morning, Harm. How do you feel? Did you have a good weekend?"

"Morning, Colonel. Fine, thank you."

Mac was thrown back by the short answer. "What's wrong, Harm?"

"What do you mean?" He said in an icy tone. The elevator doors opened before either one of them could say something else. Harm took the opportunity to distance himself from Mac and went with long strides into the bullpen. Mac followed him, still puzzled by the icy attitude from Harm.

Harriet Sims was the first who noticed them. "Colonel, Commander. I'm glad your back. It's so nice to see you. How are you?" The Lieutenant could barely conceal her happiness to see her colleagues and friends again.

"Hello Harriet. It is good to be back. I'm fine, thank you. What's going there?" To distract her from more questions, Harm pointed towards a group of colleagues who were standing together.

"Oh, Tiner got accepted to OCS." Before Harriet could continue her previous questions, Harm walked to the group. He knew that his behavior was a bit rude, but today he just didn't care. "Hey, Tiner. I just heard. Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Sir. Welcome back, Commander."

"Listen, Tiner, can you ask the Admiral if I can see him?"

"Me, too, Tiner. And congratulations!" Mac interrupted.

"Of course, thank you, Ma'am, Sir."

"Admiral, Colonel MacKenzie and Commander. Rabb are here to see, you."

AJ sighed. "Send them in."

They entered and stood in front of AJ's desk. Before either one could say something, the Admiral asked, "Mac, you alright?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. Glad to have you back."

"Permission to return to my duties." She asked in her formal Marine tone.

"Granted."

"Sir… ." AJ interrupted Harm before he could say something else.

"Rabb, you resigned your commission. I shot it up through the chain of command of the CNP the next morning. You've been a civilian for the past 72 hours."

"Sir, he saved my life", Mac interrupted.

"Then put him on your payroll", the Admiral said more forcefully. "Mac, I'm glad to see you. However, I am equally fed up with this man's lack of dependability. You know, Rabb, you're not a team player. You never considered the big picture and you are completely controlled by your emotions. So, you need to go find you something that allows you that independence. Drive a cab, wrestle alligators… Hell, I don't know." Mac stood there baffled.

Harm, too, had not moved a muscle. "Are you finished?" Harm asked, barely controlling his anger. He wasn't angry about the fact that the Admiral had processed his resignation. He knew from the beginning that this would be a possible outcome when he had resigned. No, what he was angry about was the words the Admiral had just used.

"Did I give you any indication that I even wanted to come back to JAG, AJ?", he said in a frosty tone emphasizing the name, surprising the two other occupants in the room. "I'm done with JAG and more importantly, I am done with you. I came here for my exit interview and to pack my personal belongings. I will be gone within the hour." With those words, he turned around and walked out of the office, leaving the other two officers speechless in his wake.

Both AJ and Mac stood there astonished. They looked at each other and around the office. There was an awkward silence. The Admiral had been sure that Rabb would come back and ask for is reinstatement. He had known that Rabb would come in today and had thought about what to say to him. So, he had prepared himself this little speech. He wanted to make sure, that the man would understand that there would be no way that he could come back to JAG. But if he were honest to himself, he had never thought that Rabb would react this way. _What happened to them? _He wondered for a brief moment._ Ah, it doesn't matter. Good riddance._ For AJ, Rabb had finally become a liability. He had once again disobeyed him and put his own needs ahead of JAG and the Navy. Harm was selfish and certainly not a team player. Once again, he had gone off half-cocked without a plan, without any back up or assistance. Simple fact for AJ was that he could not trust Rabb anymore. He didn't want anyone in his command that he could not trust. Whatever Mac had thought about a meeting between these two people, that had not been on the list. For once, she didn't know what to say.

"That'll be all, Colonel." Mac looked at AJ bewildered. She could see in his eyes that there was no point to say anything else and with a, "Yes, Sir", she left the room.

In his office,Harm was angrily packing his personal belongings when he noticed his cover. Since becoming Commander, he had crashed another Tomcat, had been arrested (again) for murder and his cover had nearly become a vital instrument for his conviction. Now, his career in the Navy was over. _Probably a good think after what happened just a few minutes ago, _he mused_. _But in this moment, he didn't care. The Admiral words had stung. _Not a team player_.._._ If AJ considered himself a role model for a team player, Harm was happy to not be considered one. First, the old man let him rot in the brick during his trial for Singer's murder. He had denied him any emotional support. The only other person besides his attorney who came to see him during his imprisonment had been Chaplain Turner.

Then he wouldn't let him go after Mac. As far as Harm was concerned, AJ Chegwidden had broken the Seal code and therefore was a disgrace to the uniform and the Seal Medal the man so proudly wore on his chest.

Shaking himself out of the reverie, Harm grabbed his cover, stepped out of his office and yelled through the bullpen. "Hey, Tiner." The young man, who was speaking with a colleague, turned. "For when you make Commander. Hope, it'll bring you better luck than it brought me." With those words, he threw the cover to Tiner who stood there stunned. Harm turned around to pack the rest of his belongings. Because of that, he could not see the confused and sad faces of his (former) colleagues.

As Harm finished removing the last of his personal effects from his office, he heard a knock on the door. He looked over to see Petty Officer Jennifer Coates standing in the doorway.

"Do you need any help, sir?", she asked looking at the three boxes on the desk.

Harm smiled and nodded. "Sure, Petty Officer, and it's Harm. Obviously, I'm not in the Navy anymore. Could you grab a box and help me take it to my car? I would appreciate it."

"Of course, sir." Harm looked at her. "Sorry, Harm".

For a last time Harm looked around and scanned his (former) office. He did not want to leave anything behind that would cause him to come back. One thing he knew for sure: His time at JAG was over and he would never come back to occupy this office. He grabbed two boxes and walked out his office. Jen grabbed a box and followed Harm towards the elevator.

Nobody in the bullpen was working. Although nobody did say a word, Harm could feel all eyes of the staff on him. He was nearly through the double doors when somebody stepped before him. To his surprise, it was Lt. Roberts. Although it wasn't the first time Harm had left the office with boxes in his hands, Bud (as many others) had realized that this time, his mentor and friend would not come back to the office. At least, not in a working capacity.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me, sir. Fair wind and following seas, Commander Rabb!" said Bud, while extending his hand to his (former) Mentor. Harm unceremonially let one box fall to the flour. He then gratefully took the offered hand in a firm shake and gave Bud a tentative smile. When they released Bud surprised him once again. He stood back, locked up to attention and bellowed, "Attention on deck, Officer departing!" Then he snapped and held a salute. Although the staff was shocked with the events of the morning, they reacted instinctively to Bud's words. Besides AJ, who was in his office and Mac, who watched the spectacle from hers, the whole staff - non-coms, enlisted, officers, marines and sailors alike - turned to Harm, snapped and held their salutes. Harm and Jen put their boxes down. While Jen was facing Harm, he snapped a parade ground quality salute. Harm held it for the requisite five seconds, nodded thankfully to Bud, grabbed the box and walked through the double doors without looking back.

Inside the elevator, Harm had just a moment to look at his former colleagues who were staring at him. With his last willpower, he forced a small smile, which slipped the second the doors closed. Then he let out a sigh. "Pheww."

"Are you okay, si uhh, I mean, Harm?" Coates asked him. For a second he had forgotten the young P.O.. Harm turned towards her. Normally he would have just ignored the question or answered it with his typical 'I'm fine'. But Coates had always been nice to him and he could see real concern etched all over her face. So he decided to be honest. "No, not really." Then he added with more confidence than he was really feeling. "But I will be."

They had reached the downstairs lobby and Coates followed him out to the parking lot.

As she set her box in the back seat, she took a deep breath.

"Harm?"

"Yeah."

"I was wondering if you would have dinner with me tonight. Or drinks?" Harm stopped what he was doing and looked at her surprised.

Coates blushed. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have asked…" She paused a moment and looked away. Harm could see that she was fighting an inner battle. Although he didn't know the specifics, he could see the moment when the young woman came to a decision. "Look, Harm. A couple of years ago I had a few bad days. But I was lucky; there was this guy, who wouldn't leave me alone." She grinned a little as she thought back to the first days they met. "He even tracked me down and helped me. I like to do the same now." The confidence with that she had said those words left her quickly when Harm didn't answer. In fact, his stare made her a little uncomfortable. She continued to talk but averted eye contact. "I know that we don't really know each other, we sure aren't friends. Why would you be friends with me, an enlisted, especially after my testimony…"

Harm placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from rambling. Startled, Jennifer looked into his eyes and was surprised to see him smile. It wasn't his carefree 'flyboy grin', as she had heard the Colonel refer to it one day, but a little smile nonetheless. It made her heart beat a little faster.

"It's, okay, Coates. You can stop babbling now." He grinned at her mischievously. "You just surprised me. Thank you for the offer. Tell you what, I have to go and get debriefed. I don't know how long this will take. I call you later and we can clear the details. Ok?" Jen nodded. "Alright. You had better get back now, before the Admiral gets angry with you. See you later", with that he closed the door and drove to his next appointment.


	3. Chapter 3

**A New Path**

A/N: So, here we go again. A heartfelt 'thank you' to those who took the time to review and message me. Feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome.

This will not be a Harm/Mac friendly fiction. There will be friction between them. Maybe later on I will have them reconcile, but I don't know yet.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. of any TV show used in this fic are the property of their respective owners, producers or creators. Any resemblances to actual persons, places, etc. are purely coincidental. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. Hence, no copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter three**

**CIA Headquarters**

**Langley, VA**

After he finished his debriefing at the CIA Headquarters with John Feldman, Harm just wanted to go home and sleep some more. He had sat in that briefing room for hours. The CIA operative wanted to know every little detail he could remember, every person he had met, every conversation he had had with them - and then he had to repeat it again. Therefore, he told him of his meetings with Hardy and the Gunny, what had happened at the compound and about the destruction of the stingers. However, he did not tell them about his conversations with Mac. Those were private and had no implications for national security - just for his inner peace. He put a stop to the briefing when the spook started to ask the same questions for a third time. Stating to them that his answers would not change Harm bade his goodbyes.

A very unhappy Harm was stopped on his way out and 'asked' to see Deputy Director Kershaw in his office.

"So, how many people did you kill in Paraguay?" Kershaw asked without preamble.

Surprised by this question, Harm hoped that that he did not have to repeat the debriefing with Kershaw.

"Honestly, I couldn't say, sir."

"From what I hear, it was quite a few. In fact, you and Colonel MacKenzie seemed to have left with something of a reputation. Not unlike that of the Lone Ranger and Tonto, only taller."

"I don't kill indiscriminately, Mr. Kershaw!" Harm told indignantly.

"Oh, good, because that is what I come to expect from most citizens", the older man said sarcastically.

"Sir, when I came to you and told you that I left the Navy, you directed me to Edward Hardy. I assumed that meant it was okay to go after Colonel MacKenzie."

"Yes, you're right. However, I did not say it was okay to steal a farmer's plane. I did not tell you to give up your passport and force us to sneak you out of there."

"Sir, if you feel like I operated outside the boundaries…"

"No, Rabb. I feel you operated with no sense of the boundaries," Kershaw said forcefully.

"I admit there might have been a little bit of improvisations…"

"Robin Williams can admit improvisations. You were playing cowboy," the Deputy Director said sarcastically. He took a calming breathe before he continued.

"However, what's done is done. Now, let's see what I plan to do about it."

There was a pause and both men looked at each other. Leaning forward, Kershaw surprised Harm with his next words.

"Come work for us!"

"What?" Harm looked at him stunned.

"Don't look so surprised. I know that Admiral Chegwidden processed your resignation. You need some training. I want you to get some self-discipline. But I think that you could in time make an outstanding CIA officer."

"What, you suddenly trust me?" Harm asked skeptically.

"I know what I need to know!"

"Sir, you know me as unpredictable and uncontrollable. What makes you think I can pull this off? I mean, don't you put your agents through some kind of character testing?"

"We've already done that," Kershaw replied calmly. "Come in, Catherine!" Kershaw yelled toward the closed office door. "Say hello to your sponsor."

Harm was shocked when Catherine Gale walked into the room.

"Ms. Gale here vouched for you, Mr. Rabb. So what do you say?"

"Your world is to fluid for me, with all your role playing and secrecies. I'm used to work in a morally consistent environment."

"Harm, you gave that up to chase Colonel MacKenzie around the Chaco Boreal", Catherine corrected him.

"I didn't go to Paraguay to shoot people. I went on a mission. I did what needed to be done to achieve my objective." Harm pointed out rather forcefully.

"And that is a perfect description of an agents field duties", Kershaw praised him.

"Sir, I appreciate your confidence in me, but I'm gonna stick with what I know. Make the rounds in the law firms. Maybe knock on the public defenders door. Now, if there were a position in your department…" He looked at Catherine.

"Two attorneys were just laid off," the CIA lawyer answered him apologetically. Turning to Kershaw, she continued. "Maybe you could use him in another capacity?"

"I don't know what that could be?" Kershaw said. "But I'm open to suggestions. You tell us: what else do you do?"

It was Catherine who pointed out that Harm was a pilot – a highly decorated one too. They talked a few more minutes about the possibility for Harm to fly for the agency. Kershaw promised to look into it and to contact him as soon as possible.

* * *

Harm was happy to go home and get some more rest. He still had a headache and he knew that he needed a few days to recover. The events at the JAG Headquarter and the long briefing at the CIA did not help. He was looking forward to a nice quite evening. It was that thought that reminded him at his conversation with Coates this morning. The young woman had asked him… yeah, for what exactly had she asked him? A date? No, not a date. Harm may have always liked the young woman that he had met on Christmas Eve a couple of years ago. Obviously, she felt the same way or she never would have asked to meet him this evening. Nevertheless, he did not think that she had an ulterior motive. As she said, she just wanted to repay a debt she felt she owed him. Even if the situation with Mac wasn't so difficult, Coates was still a Petty Officer. _Okay, that would not be a problem anymore. _Harm chuckled. _Still, she is way too young for me. _

Harm remembered that he told her that he would call her after the debriefing. So he had to decide what to do. He really was tired and didn't want to go out today. He just wanted to go home and relax. Harm pulled out his mobile phone and called her.

"JAG Headquarters, Petty Officer Coates speaking." Harm could not help but grin when he thought about her sitting at Tiners old desk.

"Hello, Petty Officer Coates. This is Harm calling as promised."

"Hello, Sir."

"Coates?!"

"Sorry, sir. There are people around and I don't want them to hear me speak your name." She said with a hushed voice

"Oh. Why? Would that be a problem?"

"Uhh," The following silence was answer enough.

"It's ok, Jennifer. I don't want to get you in trouble. I finished my debriefing and am on my way home. I appreciate your offer, but I really am not in the mood to go out tonight. I'm tired and my head still hurts."

"Oh…" Harm clearly could hear the disappointment in the young woman's voice. That surprised him. He really wasn't in the mood for an evening out. But unlike his other 'friends' at JAG, she had shown concern and told him, that she didn't want him to be alone after a day like this. For that he was grateful. So he made a snap decision.

"But what do you think about a quiet evening at home? You could come over to my apartment and we could both enjoy a home cooked meal?"

"Ohhhh. Uhhhh…." Now Harm could clearly hear the young woman's surprise. He couldn't help and grin at that.

"Okay. When should I be there?"

"1900? Do you remember where I live?" She had accompanied him to his apartment during her trial.

"Yes, that's ok and I do."

"Ok. See you then."

"It's a date. Oh, I have to go. The Admiral is coming back. See you later, sir." With that, she was gone.

"A date?!" Harm mused out aloud, not knowing that a few miles away someone else had the same thought.

So, instead of a quiet evening to himself, he was having a dinner guest. _Great, now I have to go shopping_…

* * *

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

"_It's a date? Stupid, stupid, Jennifer." _Coates chastised herself.

The Admiral returned from a short break, just when Coates had put the phone down.

"Settled in, Coates?" The Admiral looked cautiously at his new yeoman.

"Just about, Sir."

"Don't feel that you have to stick around for me. Leave when you want."

"I should probably go home and eat something, sir."

"By all means."

"Although sir, I haven't been all that hungry since Commander Rabb announced he won't be returning to JAG. The Commander is the most responsible for turning me around, sir. I'm sure you had your reasons for your actions, sir. But I'm wondering, if it wasn't counterproductive, given what he's contributed to this office…"

"Listen, enlisted opinions are not part of the job descriptions, Petty Officer." The Admiral was clearly agitated now.

"Understood, sir. I will from this moment on phrase my support for the Commander in question form only."

At that comment, the Admiral turned to Coates. He removed his glasses and looked at her sternly.

"Neither is insubordination!" He said in a stern voice.

"Yes, sir. I apologize. Good night, sir."

"Night, Tiner," the Admiral said while entering his office.

"I'm not Tiner, sir." With that, Coates fled the office. She needed to get ready for her evening with Harm.

* * *

**Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

**Washington, DC**

Harm had just put the garlic bread on the table when Coates knocked on the door.

"Come on in, Jennifer."

"Good evening, sir."

"Oh, for crying out loud, Jennifer. It's Harm, not sir or Commander. I'm not in the Navy anymore, remember?"

"Yes, sir." She chuckled when Harm shot her a dirty look.

"Funny. Take a seat. Do you want anything to drink? Cold beer, wine, soda?"

"A beer sounds good."

Harm walked to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer. He grabbed those with one hand and the pasta salad he had made with the other.

"As I told you earlier, I'm still not 100 percent. So, I decided against cooking something elaborate. I hope pasta salad with garlic bread is ok with you?"

"Yes, of course it is. Thank you."

"Ok, so let's dig in."

They had a lighthearted conversation throughout their meal. In an unspoken agreement, they steered away from any uncomfortable topics. At least for now. So they talked about sports, music and things like that. It was nice getting to know each other better outside of the office. Harm learned that Coates, while not strictly a vegetarian, enjoyed many of the same types of food that he did. After they had finished their meal they settled with their drinks on the couch where their continued their easy conversation. Coates broke their unspoken agreement.

"What are you going to do now, Harm?"

Harm sighed. "I don't know, Jen." Coates looked like she didn't believe him.

"Really. I haven't made any plans yet. I wanted to wait and see the outcome of the meeting with the Admiral."

Jen could see the anger in Harm's eyes. Although she was curious what actually had happened in the Admiral's office, she didn't want to ask Harm that now and darken the mood. Before she could say something else, Harm spoke again.

"I was offered a job this afternoon." He didn't have to say who had offered him a job because she knew where he had been.

"Really? You want to work for the" she pauses "'State Department'?" She asked with heavy sarcasm.

"Don't know yet. There are certain things I don't want to do," Harm pointed out und continued. "We talked about the possibility that I could work as a pilot. They want to check back with me." Harm surprised them both of them with his next question: "Do you think I should do it?"

Coates was stunned. Harmon Rabb wanted to know her opinion on a rather personal matter.

"I don't know. I think…" She didn't know what to say. "I think it depends what exactly you do."

"What do you mean?" Harm wanted. He didn't know why he had asked her for her opinion, but he really wanted to know what she thought about it.

"I am no expert, but I guess there are two types of jobs involving flying for the CIA. One is that you chauffeur some officials from point to another, the other is that you fly actual mission. Right?"

He just nodded.

"Look, I know that you love flying. Hell, everybody knows that." They both chuckled. "So that would be clearly a good thing for you. However, I think that possibility one would get boring for you after a while. Well, possibility two would be more adventurous but the question is whether you really do want to be a part of a CIA operation. Do you think you could live with their rules?"

Harm looked at her for a second. Coates answer surprised him. He didn't have time to think all too much about what a job as pilot for the CIA could mean.

"I haven't actually thought all the implications, but you made a good point. Well, let's see whether they offer me a job."

"What if they don't?"

"Well, I could apply to work for either the State or Justice Department." Harm paused a moment. "However, there is no way I'm gonna work for NCIS, though!" Harm said with conviction in his voice.

Jen nodded. "I can understand that."

"Yeah, bunch of incompetents. They've arrested me twice for murder now."

"Twice?" asked a curious Jen. Obviously, she knew about the arrest for Singers murder.

A dark cloud swept in Harm's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Harm. I didn't mean to pry." _Well, actually I did… _

"No need to apologise. A few years ago, a friend of mine was murdered. I had been tasked to investigate. I literally heard her name as I opened the body bag. I was shocked as I'm sure you can imagine."

Coates wasn't able to do anything else as nod. She could hear the emotions in his voice.

"We were supposed to meet that weekend but …" Harm stopped. "Anyway, in the end the slimy NCIS Agent produced his so called evidence and arrested me for Diane's murder. Thankfully it took Meg – my partner at that time- just a few hours to prove my innocence." _Unlike the last time when I spend weeks in the brick, _went unspoken. They were both silent for a moment. Before either one could say anything else, Harm began to yawn.

"I'm sorry, Jennifer."

"No, it's ok. It's time to go, it's getting late anyways."

"Come on, I bring you to your car."

Before getting in the car, Coates turned to Harm.

"I'm sorry the Admiral processed your resignation and wouldn't let you come back."

Harm sighed. "You said that earlier, remember?" He reminded her softly. "Besides, I knew that this was a possibility. So there are no reason for you to apologize."

"Still, Harm, I am sorry. I liked working with you."

Harm sighed. "Thank you, Jennifer."

"Listen, Harm. I had a good night." Scrunching up all the courage she possessed she continued, "You think we could do this again?"

This time there was no mistaking; she did ask him for a date.

"Me too. Of course, we can. You have my number. Call me when you want to do something."

"Great. See you around, sir!" She smiled sheepishly, gave him a quick peck on his cheek, and asked: "Can I get in trouble for that?" Harm remembered the question and answered accordingly.

"Yeah."

"It was worth it!" She repeated her words from two years ago with a bride smile on her face. Harm threw back his head and let out a loud laughter. Mission accomplished Jen got in her car and drove home.


	4. Chapter 4

**A New Path**

**A/N: **

It has been a long while – nearly one year - since I have posted the last chapter. I am very sorry about that.

A heartfelt 'thank you' to all the reviewers! Hope, you and all other readers will enjoy this chapter!

**Chapter four**

* * *

**Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

**Washington, DC**

Harm spend the next day thinking about the dinner with Coates, Jennifer, he corrected himself. It did not exactly surprised him that he had had a good time at their 'date', friendly meeting, whatever it was. He had spent time with her during her trial and then later after she had begun to work at JAG Headquarter. But he was surprised about how much he actually had enjoyed the evening. He'd learned that they had many things in common. For example, although she wasn't strictly a vegetarian, she didn't eat much meat either. He was surprised at the level of inside into him she showed while they had talked about the possibility of flying for the CIA. Coates was right, he thought. Chauffeuring people around to meetings would reduce him to nothing more than a taxi driver. Everybody knew about his love for flying. However, after the Admirals tirade that did not sit right with him. After his previous experiences with the CIA, he really didn't want to be involved in CIA missions. Their set of rules and morals were quite different from his own: the CIA wasn't exactly known for their devotion to truth and integrity. However, working for them would mean he could fly regularly. Moreover, it would be a way for him to continue serving his country. A shrilling phone interrupted Harm in his thought.

"Rabb."

"Hello Harm, this is Catherine. Uh, Catherine Gale."

"Hello Catherine. I was just thinking about you." Harm cringed at his choice of words.

"Oh."

"Uh, well, not you per se. More on the line of your possible job offer."

"Yeah, that's the reason I called. Listen, Director Kershaw made some calls. He talked to a guy who flew for Air America. He didn't say specifics but the guy said that they could use a pilot with your skills." Her tone was subdued.

"Ok. Why do I think that there is a catch?" Silence.

"Catherine?"

"No, no catch. It's just..." Another pause.

"What is it?"

"Look, Harm. I know we don't know each other that well. But I think that in the short time we spent together, I got a good feeling of what makes you tick."

"And?" Harm couldn't hide the irritation in his tone.

"Well, you know I like working for the 'State Department'?"

"Yes. Come on, Catherine, what is it that you want to tell me?"

"I don't think that this is a good idea." The words were rushed. This time it was Harm who was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"Why not?" He asked interested in her opinion of his character.

"Working as a lawyer there is one thing. However, you would be an active agent involved in missions. Don't get me wrong, I know about your involvement in various missions. Therefore, I have a good idea of what you're capable of. But I think that the work and possible decisions you would have to make would clash with your principles."

Again, Harm was silent for a moment. He took a deep breath before he answered.

"Yeah, I had similar concerns. So, you don't think I should take the job." It wasn't really a question.

"To be honest, no, I don't. You see, I understand that this be a chance for you to continue flying professionally. I remember that you said, that you thought you'd never be able to do so on a regular basis in the Navy. But as I said, when I think about the things I've learned about you, your convictions and principles, I don't think that you would be happy doing the work you would have to do."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Thank you for your honesty."

"So, what should I tell Director Kershaw?"

"Thank him for his offer, but that I have to decline it."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. Like I said, I had similar thoughts."

"Ok, then."

"Another thing. How is your mother doing?"

That question surprised her. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I liked her. And you said that she was sick and didn't have much time. THAT is the reason I 'married' you, remember?" Catherine could clearly hear the teasing tone when he mentioned their wedding.

"Uh, surprisingly, she is feeling a bit better. But we all know that she won't go home again." Catherine's voice was sad.

"Uh, would you mind it if in went to the hospital and visit her? You'd think she would like to see me again?"

"Oh. I don't know. I mean, she does think that we're married now. If you go, you'll have to play the role."

"I know. Although, I don't like to lie to her, I really liked to see her again. She is an interesting woman and reminds me of my Grams. And I would be a lousy son-in-law if I didn't visit her!"

Catherine let out a chuckle. "Yeah, you would be. Alright, when did you want to go?"

"Why? You want to come, too?

"Yeah."

"Ok. I haven't thought about it. I wanted to go out to my plane tomorrow. I could stop by at her hospital after that. Yeah, that is actually a good idea." Harm mused.

"Alright."

"Ok. I call you tomorrow when I'm finished."

"Ok. See you tomorrow:"

"Bye. And Catherine?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." He ended the connection and left a bewildered Catherine think about what he had thanked her for.

* * *

**Blacksburg Municipal Airport**

**Blacksburg, VA**

Harm knew that he had to make some decisions about his future soon, after he had declined the job offer from the CIA. As he had said to Jennifer a few days ago, he considered a few other options. He could apply to work for either the State or Justice Department. The FBI for example would consider his legal degree and his investigating experience as a plus. One thing he knew for sure, he would not work for NCIS - his previous experiences made sure of that. If he were to be a lawyer, he preferred the trial aspect of being an attorney. He knew he could always apply at the countless of law firms in the DC area, New York or even California. His mother would really like the last option. He had taken the bar there and he could easily take another if he needed to in order to practice. Another option was to start his own firm.

Although he didn't need the money right away, he needed something to stay busy. Nobody outside of his family knew that he actually didn't need to find a new job immediately. He had a large amount of money stashed away. His grandparents - his mother's parents – had been very wealthy people. Shortly after his birth, they had set up a trust fund for college, which they continued to fill until they have died. Furthermore, part of his heritage went into his trust fund as well. To his surprise, the same did his stepfather's parents after they had died. He felt slightly guilty since the day Frank had told him about that. For obvious reasons they had never been very close.

As he had attended Annapolis, he didn't have to use the money from his trust fund. Although he didn't earn that much money in the Navy, he was able to pay his bills easily. Being on a carrier or on investigations, he didn't have a lot of need to spend his money. His kept a lifestyle that even allowed him to put away some money one time or another. Although they had their problems, Frank had handled Harms trust fund. He was the one who had accessed the fund and send Harm the money during the search for Harm's father in Russia. Over the years, Frank had been able to enlarge his stepson's finances significantly. The most expanses he had were his Corvette and his beloved 'Sarah'. For Harm, flying Sarah was some kind of therapy - it was his way to release his worries. Moreover, he always felt close to his father.

The last one was his destination this morning. Harm was driving his motorcycling on an open road with a huge smile on his face. He relished in in the feeling of the sun shining and the wind blowing in his face. After a couple of hours, he pulled up outside the hangar. He removed his crash helmet and aviator's shades and looked around. Harm was surprised; many things had changed since he had been to the hangar last. Not the least, that the sign above the hangar did not show the usual owner to be Pop Walchowski. Instead, there was a sign proclaiming the owner to be 'Grace Aviation and Crop Dusting'.

As he removed his crash helmet and aviator's shades a teenage girl walked up to greet him with a casual but cheery "Hey."

"Hey yourself", he nodded, "Pop Walchowski still around?"

The girl let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She had seen him driving up to the hangar. She thought that he looked kind of a bad ass glad in his leather jacket. She feared that he would make trouble, demanding a payment or something like that. The fact that he asked after the previous owner and not after her father let her breathe more easily – and got curious. Hence, she answered his question with one of her own.

"How long since you've been here the last time?" The teen answered his question curiously with one of her own.

Harm hesitated for a moment, shrugged off his leather jacket and admitted gesticulating, "Too long, by the looks of things."

The teen smiled. "Pop Walchowski sold out. This is 'Grace Aviation's' hangar now. I'm Mathilda Grace. Friends call me Mattie..." she said and offered him her hand.

"Hey. I'm Harmon Rabb and my friends call me Harm," he repeated her words from a few moments ago and shook the offered hand. Mattie knew who he was now.

"Well Harm," she grinned when she put just the slightest emphasis on his name. "We got one thing in common – we've both got goofy names!" Harm chuckled at that.

"Well, back to business. We've got your message and pulled your plane up," pointed to Harm's plane. "She's a beauty. Your here to take her up?" She continued as they made their way to 'Sarah'.

Harm shook his head, "No, not today. As we established a few moments ago, I have not been here for quite a while. So, today I just gonna do some maintenance like changing the plugs."

"Want a hand?" Mattie surprised Harm when she cheerfully offered her help. He turned to look at the young girl more closely.

"You know how to change plugs?" He tried to phrase this neutral, but his tone obviously held more than just a hint of disbelieve. However, Mattie didn't seem to care and replied confidently.

"My dad taught me how to change out plugs when I was six."

"Why would he do that?" This time, Harm could not contain his surprise.

"I wouldn't take 'no' for an answer," Mattie answered mischievously, but then her attitude sobered when she added, "And he needed the help."

Harm noticed the change in her attitude. Although, he was curious, he did not ask any more questions. He saw the hopeful expression on her face and came to a decision. "Alright, then show me what you've got." He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw the huge smile on the girl's face.

A couple of minutes later they were working silently together. Harm watched closely while Mattie was changing the plug. He was honest with himself, he was a little surprised when he had realized that Mattie really did know her way around an airplane engine. His curiosity took the better of him and he asked her, "How old are you, anyway?"

"Old enough to know not to answer that question," she replied point blank not stopping what she was doing. Therefore, she didn't see the small smile on Harm's face. Then Mattie turned, indicated at the toolbox and demanded the "three-quarter open-end."

When Harm gave her the asked tool, she asked unexpectedly, "Want a job crop-dusting?"

This question caught him completely by surprise.

"Why? Do I look that desperate to you?" He asked amused.

Mattie finished her work, stepped back from the airplane and answered carefully.

"No, nothing like that. I figure that you know how to fly a Stearman and we are a pilot short. One of our regular guys had a wire-strike two days ago." Hearing her response Harm's forehead creased in a frown of sympathy for a fellow pilot's misfortune and asked with real interest, "Is he ok?"

"Well... Let's just say it didn't do him any good." She said sarcastically, but Harm could see the concern on her face. "Uh-huh. And what's it paid?"

Her eyes fixed on him and he could hear the hope in her tone. "Three hundred a day."

Harm thought for a moment. The offer came as a surprise. It would give him a something to do for a while. He would be able to fly regularly. The fact that he would get paid for it was an added bonus - even, if the payment wasn't much. Moreover, he got the feeling that the girl – or more precise, her parents - needed some help. "Look, you in luck. I do have some time to help out for a few days. But I don't want to make a career out of it."

Mattie let out her breath and nodded. She really did need another pilot.

"I'm gonna need to talk to your parents then, I guess."

Mattie hesitated. "Ah, my dad... uh... he is dusting the back over on the Pearson ranch." Harm had noticed her hesitation and looked at her doubtfully. Mattie saw his expression and continued quickly without thinking.

"But you can talk to me. I handle all the hiring and the paperwork since my Mom..." She suddenly stopped talking and looked away from him. Harm could see that she was fighting with her emotions. Once again, he could not contain his curiosity. He wanted to know why the beforehand cheery girl got so upset.

"What happened?" he asked her gently.

"Precisely none of your business," she replied sharply. She turned away from him and put a small distance between them before she said. "Besides, I… I don't know you well enough for you to see me cry."

Harm decided to give her few seconds to compose herself. He couldn't help but feel her pain – a pain knew too well. "You know, I may know exactly how you feel," he said to her while going towards Mattie, who was now cleaning the tools she had been using.

"You lose someone, too?" Mattie asked in a subdued voice that reminded him off a small child.

"Uh, yeah..." _Too many_, Harm thought, "I lost my Dad, when I was five. He was a pilot."

"Did you ever get over it?" She asked in a choked out whisper.

"No!" In a split second, he had decided to tell her the truth. His blunt answer surprised the teen. Mattie, who has previously averted her eyes, now turned her head to look straight at him and replied in a voice laced heavy with irony."Hmmpff. That's comforting."

Harm stayed quiet for a few seconds before he answered: "Well, I figured you could handle the truth." He did not know why, but he realized that he really did. Furthermore, he believed in telling the truth, even when it hurts.

"Sometimes." She agreed. "Sometimes, I have a hard time sleeping at night", she continued in a more subdued voice.

"Dreaming about her?" He asked in a gentle voice.

She looked up to him, said "Yeah", and then looked straight ahead. With a faraway look she continued. "Then, when I wake up in the morning, it's like she dies all over again," she more or less choked out. "Now see what you've done!" Mattie said when she dried the unshed tears in her eyes.

"Hey…" Harm felt a bit guilty for making her lose her composure and tried to comfort her. Therefore, he took a step towards her and reached out a hand. However, she stopped him with a raised palm, "No don't! That just makes it worse!" she snapped at him.

He raised his own hands in a gesture of surrender and stepped back, "Sorry. I'm not much of a hand with kids, huh. Other than my godson, I don't have much contact with them. And he is much younger than you." Harm said apologetically. Mattie nodded. Now, that the previous cheery mood was killed, Harm decided to leave.

"So, does Grace Aviation have a health plan?" he asked her trying to light up the mood, although he already knew the answer.

Mattie chuckled then answered, "Most guys don't last long enough to qualify. So, you can start tomorrow. Show up by eleven and I'll give you your orders." She paused and asked hopefully, "You'll be here, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be here." He reassured her.

"Bring your lunch," Mattie ordered in a commanding tone, which her grin betrayed. Mattie went back into the hangar. Harm stood there for a moment with an amused smile on his face. He was looking forward to see her again.

* * *

**Kresge Rehabilitation Center**

**Pimmit Hills **

**Virginia**

About 90 minutes later Harm arrived at the Kresge Rehabilitation Center. Although he felt bad for lying to her about the supposed 'marriage', Harm was looking forward to seeing Catherine's mother again. She had shown a strong personality despite her illness. It was true what he had told Catherine – Esther Gale reminded him of his Grams Sarah. He knocked gently on the door before he entered her room. Esther Gale's sat propped up with pillows on her bed and was reading a book. When she realized who was entering her room Ester immediately lay down the book and to his surprise greeted him with what seemed to be genuine pleasure, "Commander, what a nice surprise!"

Harm relaxed a bit at this welcome, "Hi, I thought I'd just stop by and see how you were doing."

"Well, still above ground," Esther quipped. "I haven't seen you since the wedding. How are you doing?"

"Well, I'm not a Commander anymore."

"Why? What happened?"

"Well, long story short: I resigned to rescue my old partner when it was becoming clear that nobody else would."

"I'm sure there is more to it but I can see that I will not get any more information."

"Sorry, it's..."

"No, don't worry. I'm used to it, my daughter works for the 'State Department'. What are you going to do now?"

"Well, now," he answered, drawing a chair nearer to the bed, "I'm going to work for a fourteen-year-old, dusting crops."

"You do lead a varied life," she told him, and it was clear to Harm that she was teasing him slightly.

"Well, I don't know..."

Esther shook her head and gently said, "What I mean is that it's too bad you're not in love with my daughter." Harm froze for a moment. With her eyes full of mischief, she asked him in a mockingly tone, "You didn't really marry her, did you?"

As it became clear to Harm that his supposed mother-in-law hadn't taken offence on their swindle, he decided not to make the slightest attempt to deny her accusation, "How long have you known?"

"I suspected it that night, but I wanted to give Catherine the pleasure of pleasing me, and I didn't expect to live long enough to let her know I was on to her..." Speak of the devil…

At this moment Catherine, walked into the room and looked from her mother to Harm. She put on a fake smile and asked him, "Darling, what are you doing here...?"

She hadn't anticipated that her mother would interrupt her with an impatient snort.

"Oh, put a cork it in it, Catherine!"

Catherine looked at Harm and slipped her coat off her shoulders. Harm stood up and took the coat on a peg on the back of the door.

"Why did you tell…" She couldn't even finish her question before her mother interrupted her again.

"Oh, come on Catherine. I may be old and sick, but I am still your mother. You never really could lie to me."

Catherine blanched and looked stricken at Harm. "Oh, ah, I'll be back," Catherine muttered and fled the room.

Harm looked for a moment after Catherine, sighed and sat down. Esther turned to him and said to him, "It sounds like you have a lot on your mind, Commander?"

"Well... have you ever had your life turned upside down?" he asked her.

"Ever had your heart stop beating?" she replied.

"Touché!" Harm acknowledged sheepishly.

"Tell me, why did you come by?" she asked him without any amusement her voice.

"I enjoyed being a part of your family, I guess. Even if only for a brief moment," he gave an embarrassed half-shrug and a somewhat shame-faced grin.

"That's both sad and touching at the same time," she said gently and paused for a moment. "Is it exciting dusting crops?" she asked in an attempt to change the topic.

"I'll let you know after tomorrow!" Harm quipped.

She looked at him with real concern, "You do know what you're doing?"

"I hope so." he replied. "You see, I met this girl, the daughter of the owner of the airfield. It seemed to me that they needed a pilot urgently. As I have nothing else to do for the moment, I told her I would help out for a short while."

"Well, then come back and tell me about it," Esther demanded with clear humor in her voice.

"I promise," Harm replied giving her his famous aviator smile.

* * *

**Grace Aviation **

**Blacksburg, VA**

The next day, Harm arrived early at the hangar. Harm was honest to himself and knew that he was a bit nervous; crop-dusting would be a new experience for him. He was doing his preflight when Mattie came to see him. She gave one of her ground crew a bit of a hard time. "Hurry up! This should have been loaded by now!"

He stopped and watched his new boss for a moment smiling to himself. Mattie did not turn to him when she briefed him.

"You'll be spraying def. on two hundred acres of mature cotton."

"What is def.? And why would I spray it on a mature crop?" Harm asked curiously.

"Def is a defoliant. It tricks the cotton into dropping its leaves. It makes it easier for the mechanical harvesters," she explained to him.

"Got it!"

"The application is five gallons per acre. We've taken care of the mix and the spray nozzles are set to the correct pressure."

"Anything else, I should know?"

"Yeah. You should walk the field first. Check for power lines or any other obstacles. In addition, you have to make sure that you watch the wind speed and direction. You want to avoid any off-target drift, so stay low." Mattie stopped her briefing and turned to her crewmember, "Hey, hey, hey, Frank!"

"How low is low?" Harm wanted to make sure that he had all the instructions he needed.

"Optimum is eight feet above the deck!"

Harm was enjoying himself. He was flying for more than one hour. Although he had flown many different types of airplanes, crop-dusting was a new experience. He noticed a battered pick-up truck tearing up a cloud of dust along the road that bordered the cotton-field he was working on. He frowned when he realized the head, which craned out of the window, belonged to none other than his young boss. He didn't know why but he felt a bit protective of Mattie. _What the heck is she doing? She is too young to drive! I have to talk to her dad about that. _Nonetheless,Harm could not help himself, smiled, and winked at her. The young girl had made an impression on him in the short time they knew each other. Harm was looking left and right when he noticed that he was nearing a tree at end of the field. "Whoa!" He exclaimed when he pulled back on the stick and flew above the tree. "Wheeeww", he screamed. _That was close; _he thought and continued his work.

Meanwhile Mattie had parked beside a field and was watching Harm with a huge grin on her face. His stunt had impressed her. She hoped that he would continue to work for her for a while. She really could use his help and his abilities.

He was happy when he finished his work for the day. A cheerful Mattie greeted him when he stepped out of the cockpit.

"You're good!" She exclaimed happily, "Real good!"

"Well, thanks," he grinned. "I've been flying since I was your age. So how long have you been driving?" There was no mistaking the disapproving tone.

"Don't worry. The sheriff knows me, so it isn't a problem," she answered self-confidently. "Here's your pay. We do an all cash business here. So it's up to you to report your income and pay your taxes." Harm took the envelope and tucked it into his back pocket. That surprised the girl, "You're not going to count it?"

"I'm sure it's all there," Harm replied well heartedly.

"Well, I've got work for you tomorrow…" She let the sentenced open and looked hopefully at Harm.

"Good! See you then, boss," he put just the slightest emphasis on the last word and smiled at her. Then he made his way to his motorcycle.

"What's your hurry? You got a hot date?" She called after him, when he turned to his motorcycle. She didn't want him to leave just yet. She really liked her knew employee. Harm gave her a half-wave as he walked to his bike.

* * *

A/N: I have always liked the Mattie character and her interactions with Harm. Therefore, I am happy to introduce her to this story, too. I have made some minor changes to canon and to my version of their meeting in "Sad past, happy future?". I hope you like it.

In addition, I always liked Harm's interactions with the Gale women and that's the reason for the part with Esther.

As it is just a few weeks after the 'marriage' there is no visible sign of Catherine's pregnancy, therefore Harm and Esther don't know about it – yet. Catherine as well as Mattie will be companions on Harm's new path that he will start soon.

Please review!


End file.
